Intense
841 Words
🌒 Hanuel’s Apartment – Late Night
Hanuel sat on the edge of her bed, her shop apron still hanging loosely on her chair. The room was quiet, except for the faint hum of the fridge in the kitchen. She stared at her phone, the call log still showing Chang Wook from earlier.
Her mind replayed his words.
“We both know it was a mistake.”
Hanuel pressed her lips together, her chest tightening. She buried her face in her hands, whispering to herself.
Hanuel (to herself, trembling): “A mistake… after everything… after how you looked at me… it’s just a mistake?”
She lay back on the bed, covering her eyes with her arm. Memories of the kiss, the touch, the warmth that night — they weren’t hazy to her. She remembered every detail. Her heart burned with both guilt and longing.
Her phone buzzed. She grabbed it quickly — but it was just a customer’s inquiry about tomorrow’s orders. Not him.
Hanuel laughed bitterly.
Hanuel (whispering to herself): “Why am I even waiting…? He’s not going to call.”
She turned her phone screen down, pulled the blanket over her body, and curled up. A single tear slipped down her cheek before sleep dragged her under.
The camera faded out on the quiet, empty room.
🌑 Unknown Location – Midnight
A dimly lit room. Only the glow of a laptop screen pierced through the darkness. Fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, lines of code flickering in green and white on the screen.
The cursor blinked on a login page. A camera feed briefly flashed, then disappeared. Files were being pulled, encrypted walls breaking one by one.
The hacker’s face wasn’t shown — only their silhouette. Their breathing was steady, calm, practiced. On the desk lay several scattered photos, barely visible under the screen’s light: blurred images of Ayan, Hanuel, Chang Wook, and Euntak.
The system dinged softly — access granted.
A list of private messages, emails, and call logs appeared. The hacker leaned closer, scrolling slowly, as if searching for something specific… or someone’s secret.
The screen glitched for a second before stabilizing. The cursor hovered over Hanuel’s name.
The scene cut to black.
The Photo Album & The Hidden Face
Ayan walked out of the bedroom, a soft pink face mask on, clutching their wedding photo album to her chest. Euntak sat in the living room, eyes glued to a soccer match on TV.
Ayan: “Babe…”
Euntak: (without looking away) “Yes, my wife…”
She sat beside him and opened the album.
Ayan: “Looks like you forgot we took these on our wedding day.”
Euntak: (laughs, still watching) “Forgot? Nah. I knew the moment you found it, you’d bring it straight to me.”
He finally glanced at her face mask, then at the album.
“Girls always want to look prettier… even when they already do.”
Ayan laughed. Euntak reached to flip through the album, but she quickly grabbed it back.
Ayan: “You’re busy with the match. Maybe we can go through it after?”
He caught her wrist gently and guided her onto his lap.
Euntak: “I can never be too busy for you, my wife.”
Ayan blushed beneath her mask.
“I know.”
They laughed together, teasing each other about awkward poses, silly faces, and the photographer’s timing.
Then Euntak’s smile faded slightly. He pointed at someone in the background of a photo.
Euntak: “Ayan… see this guy? He seems to avoid the camera.”
Ayan leaned in, flipping through the previous pages. The same man appeared repeatedly — always turned away, head down, or slightly out of frame.
Ayan: “Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Besides… I know him.”
Euntak: “Coincidence, huh? So… who is he?”
Ayan: “He’s my colleague. Chang Wook. More like a brother, honestly. So I don’t know why he’d avoid the camera.”
Euntak nodded slowly… too slowly.
Euntak: “Do you have any other pictures or videos of him?”
Ayan raised an eyebrow teasingly.
Ayan: “You look curious.” She smiled and pulled out her phone. “Here — this one I took without him knowing. He’s always so unaware. Kind of a sociopath at work, doesn’t really mingle.”
She scrolled through the photos. Euntak’s eyes widened for just a split second when he saw Chang Wook’s face — a flicker of recognition, sharp and fleeting, quickly buried behind a calm expression.
Euntak: “…He’s cute.”
Ayan: (smiling proudly) “Yeah, he has a lot of crushes at work. People respect him too… he’s really respectful.”
Euntak nodded and smiled, though his eyes betrayed a distant thought.
Ayan: (smiling proudly) “Yeah, he has a lot of crushes at work. People respect him too… he’s really respectful.”
Euntak nodded and smiled, though his eyes betrayed a distant thought.
They returned to the album, turning page after page, but Euntak’s mind was far from the photographs.
- Writer
